Geri Schear's Blog, page 3

Writing a Book Series

The pros and cons of writing a series

There’s a lot to be said for writing a series of books. If it’s successful, it can keep you on the shelves for years, even decades. If your first novel in the series is good enough, publishers will be more likely to accept it than a stand-alone novel.

Another advantage is that you already know your character, or you should do. It can also allow you to see your character develop and grow as the series progresses. Not only your main character, either, but his or her sidekick, family, and any other recurring figures.

A successful series can be lucrative, and it can write your name in the echelons of the great.

On the other hand, maintaining a series, writing about the same character year after year can burn up your creativity. It can suck the life out of other projects you may want to work on. It can also put a lot of pressure on you to churn out book after book to feed your publisher and the reading public.

If you think this is something you would like, despite the difficulties, you need to make some decisions. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

What sort of series do I want?

There is the Harry Potter type, in which one novel follows from the one before, and sets up events in the ones that will follow. There is also the type of series which contains the same characters, but each book stands on its own. Think the Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple books. There are also the types of book that focus on a different group of characters each time, but events are linked from one book to the next. Think a series that might, for instance, be based on the White House. Each volume focuses on a different president and his family and staff, but the staff of the building remain the same (perhaps one might be your point of view character).

Who is my main character?

It helps to give him or her the sort of personality that attracts the reader. He might be a serial killer but also a caring father. Or a little old lady with a mind like a steel trap. Ask yourself why some of the most successful characters keep their readers coming back even a century after their creation. Yes, some people love James Bond for the danger, but his devil-may-care attitude undoubtedly helps. Sherlock Holmes’s dry sense of humour is as appealing as the mysteries he solves. What is appealing about your character?

What’s the hook?

Bond is a spy; Charlie Daniels is a private investigator; and Kathy Reichs’ heroine, Temperance Brennan, is a forensic anthropologist. Having an interesting profession can help, but you also need an interesting character. Perhaps your hero / heroine is a movie buff, or a taxidermist. Maybe they drive a vintage Rolls Royce, or live on a boat. Whatever interesting element you give him or her, it has to be sustainable. After all, you’re planning on writing several books, not just one. Be careful not to make your hero too much of a cartoon. Don’t tell the Christie fans, but Poirot’s obsession with his little moustache always felt faintly ridiculous to me.

You may feel differently, but I fairly quickly lost interest in Anne Perry’s William Monk series. The first book tells us he is a Metropolitan policeman in 1850s-60’s London. He has had an accident which left him with amnesia. Great hook, right? I thought so too, but as the books progressed, there really wasn’t anywhere to go with it. His job changes a few times, and the stories themselves are (mostly) engaging, but I lost interest about five books in.

What’s their motto?

No, you don’t have to write it in your book, but it should be evident from the way your character behaves. We could speculate that Bond’s motto is, Live fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse. Miss Marple’s unshakable belief in good and evil suggests her motto is something like Edmund Burke’s “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Give your hero / heroine a motto and reveal it in how they live.

Who or what is their nemesis?

Bond, though he faced a number of villains over his illustrious career, had a specific enemy in SMERSH, the villainous organisation behind many of his enemies. The Men from UNCLE faced THRUSH. Poirot, Miss Marple, and many other detectives face a variety of different villains. You need to decide which way you want to go with your stories. I prefer the individual enemies because it allows for more variety. The same good guy–bad guy conflict going on for 20-something books is going to get pretty stale, unless you’re very creative.

Who are the others in the hero’s orbit?

Where would Sherlock Holmes be without his Boswell, ie, Dr Watson? Poirot had Hastings, and even Bond had M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny. Inspector Wexford, in the Ruth Rendell series, is a family man with a wife and two daughters as well as a partner.

Giving your hero (or anti-hero if you want to go that direction) a world to inhabit makes him more real. It can also provide conflict and support depending on how you want it to go.

Is it for you?

If you decide to go for it, it can bring many rewards. On the other hand, the costs are equally high. Is it for you? Only you can say.

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Writing Disaster Stories

I have a confession. Hang on to your hat because it’s a doozy. Ready?

I have never seen Titanic.

It’s true. I may be the only person on planet Earth never to succumb to the watery romance. I can’t even tell you why. I’m not disinterested in the story. I’ve been to the Titanic Museum in Belfast (Five stars), and I’ve seen A Night to Remember. But Titanic… no.

When I was a young adult, disaster stories were all the rage. We had Airport, then Airplane, more Airplane, more volcano and earthquake tales than you could shake an obsidian stick at. I saw most of them.

Then there are the stories based on terrible real life events, such as the deaths of JFK and Lincoln, Columbine, 9/11. I’m sure you could add dozens more to the list.

The obvious lesson to learn here is that people love a good traumatic event in their films and books.

While I don’t write disaster novels, I do use historical events as a backdrop. Some are woven into the plot, while others are more immediate in the story. For instance, one short story was based on The Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels (published in ‘No Holidays for Sherlock Holmes’ edited by Richard T Ryan (2024) by Belanger Books)

If writing a story based on a real-life event is something that intrigues you, what should you know?

Don’t be obvious

The events I mentioned already have been covered extensively. While I don’t believe we’ve hit saturation point with the Titanic (insert groan here), most ideas have been done already. Unless you have a really interesting and unique approach, you might consider one of the other shipwrecks in history. The Lusitania, for instance. Or try to find an historical event that contains a lot of drama, but hasn’t really been covered yet. It helps if the topic is one you already know a great deal about. It will make the writing all the more enjoyable for you.

Research meticulously

I don’t just mean all the big important facts, the dates, the names, the locations, and so forth; don’t forget the minutia. Things like how names are spelled: is it Smith or Smyth? Johnson or Johnstone? What products would have been available at that time. Don’t have a character in the 1960s using a mobile phone, or a Victorian era woman using a tissue. Did the Titanic send out an SOS for help? Are you sure? (Yes, but the radio operator first used the old CQ signal which the SOS was replacing). Fill notebooks or computer files with everything you’ve learned. It doesn’t matter if you never use it. It will still give a feeling of authenticity to your work.

Where does the disaster fit?

Give thought to how much of the story hinges on the disaster. Is it front and centre as it is in the blockbuster disaster films? Or does it serve mostly as a background. It helps to decide this up front, otherwise you’re apt to get sidetracked one way or the other.

Don’t write the disaster elements separate from the love story or whatever you have planned for the purely fiction part. They need to be woven together. Even if the disaster element is very much in the background, it still needs to cast an eerie glow over the rest of the tale. For instance, if you are writing about a man trying to get a job you could have him daydreaming about getting employed by the White Star Line, or being offered a job on the Titanic. His fascination with the ship allows you to incorporate plenty of facts into the tale. That said, it would be hard to pull off this particular tale without it sounding cheesy, but I offer it for example purposes only.

Sort the fiction from the fact

If your story is science fiction, you might get away with changing some historical events under the rationale that it’s an alternate time-line, otherwise keep to the facts. You can weave your historical story through the narrative as you focus on your fictional characters. However, be very careful about replacing actual historical figures with your own creations. Disasters, be they natural or man-made, tend to have passionate followers. If you substitute a fictional character for a real-life person, those follower will notice and won’t be happy.

The rules of fiction still apply

It’s all too easy to lose sight of the rest of the story while you’re learning all those titillating details about your chosen historical event. However, the usual rules of characterisation and structure apply. A disaster, whether it’s natural or man-made, doesn’t replace well crafted fiction. In fact, I suspect that one of the things that brought an end to the disaster movie trend was the lamentably poor characterisation many of them had. Don’t fall into that trap.

Beware the exposition gremlins

Once you have decided to incorporate true events into your tale, you will have to find a way to weave all those details into the narrative without getting bogged down in exposition. That’s not easy to do. Incorporate the facts in small nuggets. Perhaps present a character who is an expert on earthquakes, the Lincoln assassination, or whatever your event may be, but even then, tread carefully.

Go fiction all the way

Finally, if you really want to write a disaster novel, you can always create your own event, whether it’s a volcano, earthquake, plane crash, or the assassination of an important (fictional) figure. This allows you more freedom in how the events occur and give you full control over not just the whole narrative, but the ending in particular. We all know how the Titanic ended, but your fictional ship might survive. Or not. It’s for you to say.

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How to Read as a Writer

I recently saw author Anthony Horowitz talk about how he re-read an Agatha Christie book line by line seven times just to convince himself that Christie had played completely fair with the reader. He had to admit she did. I admire his thoroughness.

My dad never understood why I always kept all my books. “You’ve already read them,” he’d say. I would reply that I might want to read them again. That baffled him. “But… you already know how they end.” He never understood that the journey was far more important than the destination.

Understanding the journey is essential for every writer, and while there are some excellent resources for to help you develop your talent, one of the best is learning from your favourite authors. Understand, I’m not saying you should curl up in your favourite armchair and just re-read. You knew it couldn’t be that simple, right? No, I’m talking about learning from the masters of the craft. Here are my suggestions for making it work best for you:

Start with a short story. Ideally, pick one you’ve already read and enjoyed. If you haven’t read a short story before, here are a few you might consider for this exercise:

The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin.Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway.The Dead by James Joyce.Cathedral by Raymond CarverDon’t Look Now by Daphne du Maurier

If you haven’t read your chosen story before, then read it once just for enjoyment. If you don’t care for it, then find another story that you do like. Mind you, you can learn just as much from fiction you dislike as much as those you love.

Once you have read it once, sit down with a pencil and write in the margins any thoughts that occur to you. Underline phrases that stand out, focus on how the story is constructed, and think about how you can employ some of those techniques to your own work. Don’t worry about themes or any of the things you’d highlight in a literature class. Your intention is on how the writer created the world and the characters of the story, as well as the mood that fills the tale.

Try not to cheat. You can read an analysis of the story if you’re truly baffled, but you’d be better off reaching your own conclusions. Your opinion is the only one that matters. Besides, study aids are aimed at literature students, not writers.

Focus all your attention on the creative elements. Ask yourself how the writer portrays the characters. What adjectives they use. Does the author ever use passive sentences? Examine how the story starts and ends, and the events that happen in between. Pay close attention to the language. Is it sparce, to the point, elegant, or even florid? Are the sentences short, or do they go on for a whole paragraph. Compare Hemingway to Henry James, for instance, and see which you prefer and why.

Once you have examined one story, you can try a variety of different ones and see what you can learn from them. Short stories come in all shapes and sizes, written by people of all ages, races, and life experiences. They cover everything from contemporary relationships to science fiction and crime.

You can practice your writing by copying out a sentence or paragraph you like and see how you might have phrased it. You can change the adjectives, nouns, or tone of the passage, and you’ll be amazed at how much you learn from the exercise.

Once you have examined a short story or two, move on to a novel, preferably start with one you have already read and loved. Employ the same techniques.

I strongly recommend that you select a contemporary novel. Unless you plan to write like Tolstoy, avoid War and Peace.

Finally, you should focus on the sort of books that match the kind of things you write. In other words, read science fiction if that is what you write, or romance if that’s more your speed.

Studying the masters is time-consuming and requires thought and concentration. However, it’s an excellent way to learn and to develop your talent.

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Should You Date a Writer?

Probably not.

What, you want more? Fine, then. This is just my take on it, many others would disagree. They’d be wrong, but that’s their right.

When I was a teenager some time during the last century, teen magazines were full of ‘advice’ on how to know if he’s the one for you. Many of these pieces of wisdom referenced star signs. These stories were invariably printed in white on a dark blue background, with hearts, stars, and comets decorating the page. The height of sophistication it wasn’t.

Others went a little deeper. They promised to reveal the sort of boy you liked based on his record collection. Yes, we played records in those far-flung days of yore. If he liked the Carpenters or Roy Orbison, he was a traditionalist. He probably loved his mum, old ladies in general, and animals. He was kind and softly spoken. On the other hand, he might be — whisper it — a bit boring.

Boys who were into rock and roll might be a bit more edgy. It did depend, though, on whether they leaned more towards the Kinks than Led Zeppelin.

But what of boys who liked jazz, classical, or country? Somehow they were never mentioned.

Anyway, being a bit of a maverick, I selected boyfriends based on their reading lists. Since I have always been, I confess, a bit of a literary snob, I was drawn to those who like the classics, or contemporary novels that posed hard questions. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig was one such. Another was The White Hotel by DM Thomas. Both asked addressed issues of life and philosophy.

At some point I met a fellow, I’ll call him Henry, who adored The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. Being similarly obsessed, we developed a friendship. Then Henry learned that I wrote. At first, it was fun. I was a nursing student at the time, so I didn’t have much time for writing, but every time I met Henry he demanded to know if I’d started the next chapter yet. It got to the point where that was all he wanted to talk about. Soon, I started avoiding him claiming, truthfully, that I had to focus on my upcoming exams.

In hindsight, I’m sympathetic to him and can appreciate his enthusiasm. It just came at the wrong time for me. It didn’t help that, apart from our interest in books and writing, we didn’t have much in common.

So what should you do if you meet a writer and feel that delightful tingle?

Tread slowly. Writers are not like other pets. They are demanding, peevish, insular, and often enjoy a good debate. They like their routines — except when they don’t. Most of them don’t like talking about their work, and many take criticism poorly. They are often broke. Some have bad habits. They don’t talk for days. They sometimes forget to bathe. They often swing between periods of hopelessness and the sort of glorification that would make Piers Morgan blush.

When the work is going well, or when they receive glowing reviews and royalty cheques, they can be generous, effusive, and even giddy with delight. Some will insist on reading those reviews to you, their hapless partner. They will want you to share this news with all your family and friends, convinced that they will be as awed as your aforementioned partner must be.

This can work well, if you genuinely admire Mr / Ms Writer’s writing. If it’s not your thing, you have to decide if you should fake it, or just admit that you don’t get it.

Of course no one, not even writers, are all one thing and one thing alone. We are parents, children, neighbours, employees, and friends. Even if you have a problem with the writing aspect of your other half’s life, you can still have a successful relationship if they are fairly normal in other parts of their lives.

All the same, tread with care. I mean, I’m a writer and I wouldn’t date me.

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It’s Hard to Write with a Cat on your Lap

The writer’s life is one of distractions or, more to the point, of battling against distractions. The phone rings, someone knocks on the door, your hay fever suddenly kicks in and you sneeze all over the computer screen. You’ve been there, I know.

Lately, though, the biggest intruder into my writing time is the cat.

He’s a bit bipolar, is Catboy (named by my grandson). There are days of haughtiness, when he won’t deign to even look at me. Other times, he sticks like treacle to my lap. It’s very hard to write with a cat on your lap. I can ignore the phone and the door. I can take a pill for my hay fever. But cats are different. If a cat wants attention, then attention he’d better get or watch out.

So, how do you manage to keep writing when you’re facing fussy feline interruptions? Well, it isn’t easy.

My approach is to use the cat-on-lap time to think about whatever I’m writing. I work my way through the scene and try to hold onto various elements or phrases that I like. Sometimes, I will type with one hand, though the cat doesn’t like that. How dare his masseur concentrate on anything other than him?

When Mr Catboy, finally deigns to leave his bed, AKA my lap — usually to eat something — I type as fast as I can all the things I’ve been thinking about for the previous half-hour or so. Fortunately, I’m a fast typist (thanks, mum!) so I can get a lot done in just a few minutes. Still, it isn’t an ideal way to write. I’m used to having long periods alone, and can muse at my leisure. Trying to think around a busy house and a demanding cat do take their toll.

If you asked people to describe what writers do all day, they’ll probably say, type, write in a notebook, or something involving putting words on paper or onto a computer screen. While these are unquestionably important aspects of our work, most writers know that the bulk of our process involves staring into space and just thinking. Or, in my case, sitting on the sofa stroking the cat, and thinking.

On the plus side, mindless, repetitive tasks are very good for encouraging thought. Knitting, whittling, and, yes, stroking pets are very good for letting the mind travel. However, it’s very frustrating when time is a premium or you’re under a deadline. Interruptions can kill your concentration stone dead, even when those interruptions come in the form of a ball of mewing fur.

On the plus side, as soon as my son-in-law comes home, the cat forgets that I exist. I’m nothing more than a stop-gap until his beloved ‘daddy’ shows up. Then my lap is my own again, and I’m able to fly through my work.

Until my grandson wants cuddles…

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The Feedback Conundrum

When you’re a writer, feedback is inevitable. Some of it is wonderful, some dire, all of it tainted in some way, no matter how well meaning the feedback-giver may be. Indeed, those good intentions may in themselves taint the feedback given.

Even if we refuse to seek feedback from our friends and family, we cannot avoid the response we will inevitably receive from various editors to whom we submit our work. Even a form rejection is feedback of a sort.

The problem is, of course, that even our own opinion of our work is tainted. We develop blind spots and tend to swing between conviction that our work is the best thing since Shakespeare, and a belief that it’s not fit for anything but lining the cat’s litter box. The truth is almost certainly somewhere in the middle. With all that in mind, what’s the point of seeking feedback?

Feedback is essential to all creatives. It can help us take our blinders off and see our work more clearly. Without feedback, how do we learn? Blind spots are called that for a reason, you know.

Good feedback — yes, it exists, though it is as rare as hen’s teeth — is invaluable. And if more than one of the responses you receive highlights the same issues, you can be fairly sure this is a worthy of your attention.

Here are some tips to help you navigate the turbulent feedback waters.

Select your feedback-givers carefully.

Ideally, you want someone who knows what they’re talking about. A reputable author, a creative writing teacher, or at least someone who is well read. These are the most likely to give you reliable feedback. Yes, they too will bring their biases, but most will try to be fair.

Members of your writing group may seem like a logical alternative, and they may well be. However, don’t overlook the possibility of jealousy, or even malice colouring some opinions.

Don’t expect your family or friends to give you an impartial evaluation. They want to be proud of you. Well, one would hope!

Decoding the message

If you’re receiving a response from someone who isn’t a writer, you can only ask them to tell you their reaction. A professional writer will offer an analysis containing the sort of language you would expect. They’ll talk about structure, plot, characterisation, and so forth. But the non-professional will frame their response in a reader’s terms. You can expect to hear things like, “I like it.” Or, “I don’t think I understood it.” Here are some commonly used phrases, and how you should interpret them:

“I couldn’t finish it.” The plot is dull. There isn’t enough action. There is too much exposition.

“I didn’t understand it.” The plot is over-complicated. Or the reader isn’t too bright.

“I kept getting the characters mixed up.” Your characters aren’t distinct enough, or maybe their names are too similar.

“The ending confused me.” It may be too vague or unnecessarily complex. Or it’s a reader issue.

“The girl was a bit wet, wasn’t she?” If you’re a man writing a woman, you might need to check your assumptions about women. If you are a woman, you need to check your assumptions about women.

“I didn’t think the hero would act like that.” Uh-oh. Are you forcing the characters to follow the plot, rather than be true to themselves?

“It was a bit wordy, wasn’t it?” You’ve probably gone overboard on the description and the exposition.

“You really love the word ‘nice’, don’t you?” Edit. Now!

“It was okay, just not my thing.” It was okay, just not my thing!

“I loved it!” I’m your mother.

Should you use a checklist?

This is a list of items that you want your readers to consider. It should include things like plot, character, structure, and so forth. Try to make it as accessible as possible. A general reader may not understand what you mean by theme, motif, or structure. Instead, ask things such as was the hero believable; did they find the ending satisfying; what did they like best / least about it.

The only problem I find with a checklist is it gives no room for the reader to react to things outside your list. They won’t think to tell you that the side-kick is a more believable hero than the protagonist. Or that they were rooting for the bad guy. If you do use a checklist, leave room for the reader’s other thoughts and suggestions.

Also, keep it fairly brief. A three-page, single-spaced list is guaranteed to send would-be readers running for the hills.

Putting it together

Try to get feedback from at least three sources, if possible. Look out for the things they agree on, whether they’re good or ill.

Remember, feedback isn’t editing. The editor will do a line-by-line evaluation, pointing out spelling or .factual errors. A good editor will tell you the heroine was a redhead on page 12, but a brunette on page 81. These sort of catches are invaluable, but don’t be upset if your readers don’t comment on them. And be very grateful if they do.

No matter how good, bad, or terrifying the feedback may be, be grateful for it. Someone has done you a big favour by reading your work and sharing their honest opinion. No, you may not like it (unless it’s your mum), but you should still acknowledge the time they spent.

And if you’re really hungry for an in-depth appraisal, there are plenty of companies who will do just that. For a fee.

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Pop Art in Writing

Back in the 1960s, Andy Warhol started a trend of making consumer products the objects of his art. For Da Vinci, it was the Mona Lisa. For Warhol it was Marilyn Monroe. Or soup cans. Finding interest in cultural icons encouraged others to look more closely at those things, and so Pop Art was born.

Not very long after that, I started reading Stephen King. I read a review of one of his books — Salem’s Lot, I think — that said he was dating his work by referencing so many elements of 20th century life. Television shows, products, and so forth, nothing was beneath King’s notice. The fact that I remember this about 50 years later, should tell you what an impact that review had on me.

Over time, I’ve noticed that many modern writers, at least those who produce popular fiction, have followed King’s lead, and happily weave contemporary elements into their writing.

So, here’s the question that I pondered all those years ago: Should writers reference the detritus of the modern world in their work?

That’s a question each writer must answer for him- or herself. My thought is, well, it depends.

If you are writing a piece of contemporary fiction and it takes place in a modern city, it would probably be strange to ignore all those elements of the modern world that fill our lives. Of course, if your work tends towards the more pastoral aspect of life, you may well avoid the commercial without any problem. Still, it can be very unsettling to read a book with no concept of when it is set. Of course, you don’t have to rely on product placement to establish the period. The language used, especially slang, can accomplish the same thing, as can dialogue about current affairs.

Although I’ve never had the opportunity to ask him, I suspect that one of the reasons King resorts to recognising products is because if you want the reader to suspect disbelief and accept that creatures like vampires are wandering around, it helps to ground the story in the real and the known. Your favourite cola can can help you to accomplish that.

With all that in mind, the question now becomes, how much is too much? As with so much to do with writing, the answer is, It largely depends on you, the writer.

You don’t have to include elements of modern life in your writing, but if you do decide to go in that direction, then I would suggest you take it easy, at least until you feel comfortable with it. You can have a character hum a certain song or talk about their favourite TV programme or whatever they’re streaming. Or you could mention the specific car they’re driving. All these things will firmly set your story in the 21st century, if that is your aim. The book I am reading currently mentions a type of video camera, not only by name but by model. That’s pretty specific and will tell the knowledgeable reader a lot about both the period and the character.

Speaking of characters, as with everything else in writing, they should be your guide. If you have a protagonist who knows nothing about cars, then their being able to identify the exact model that the robbers were using as their getaway car is going to feel off. Unless, of course, they add that their brother has the exact same car. How characters react to various aspects of modern life can reveal a lot about them. Say they hate rap but love Mozart, and you’ve revealed a lot about them. They don’t watch TV, but they’re addicted to a specific YouTube channel, and we know even more.

My one piece of advice would be that you avoid just dumping in a product for the sake of it. We’ve seen this happen so often in various films (think cars and James Bond, for instance), that it has become something of a joke. But use the right item and establish the character’s strong reaction to it, either love or hate, and you’ve told us a lot. Just remember, less is more.

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If I Could Start Over

I know it seems strange for a professional writer to decry any aspect of the road they’ve trod on the way to publication, but we all make mis-steps. Perhaps mine will help you avoid making some of your own. Here are some things I might do differently if I had a chance to start over.

I would start earlier. Yes, I was pretty young when I started writing — my first publication came when I was sixteen — but I think I still could have focused more on my writing rather than some frivilous pursuits. Of course, I’d still leave room for spending time with my friends and watchiing Starsky and Hutch. I’m not a zealot.

I would focus on acquiring good writing habits right from the start. My days were already busy, school, exams, and so on. Plus, being the oldest of six children took up a lot of my time. Still. I could have carved 15 minutes out of each day.

I would have focused more on the community in which I lived, rather than trying to compose second-rate science fiction and fantasy. It took me a long time to learn that good fiction is grounded in reality. I’d have done better to watch and listen and learn.

I’d have made a greater effort to know people better, especially the ones I didn’t like. It would have helped me grow, not only as a writer, but as a human being.

I would have asked my parents and grandparents much more about their childhoods. Yes, I did learn some, but, like most kids, I thought those fascinating people would be around forever.

I would have saved all my scribblings. Not because they were of such literary merit, but so I could see my talent developing over the years. I could have learned from my mistakes.

I would have availed myself of the teachers and mentors around me. Picked their brains, asked them for feedback. Instead, I was too shy, too self-conscious, and too afraid of being a bother or, worse, being told I had no talent.

I would be kinder to myself, and accept that some things take time and that includes growing into one’s talent.

I would pay more attention in grammar classes, rather than daydreaming.

Finally, one thing I would only slightly change is my reading habits. I was a voracious reader, but I tended towards classical literature. Dickens and Austen then, later, the Russians. All wonderful books, of course, but a fledgling writer needs to be familiar with contemporary fiction, too. Part of the problem was I didn’t know what to read. At least with the classics, I knew I was getting works of quality. Again, I could have asked my English teacher for recommendations.

If you’re just starting out on your writing journey, I hope you found something useful in the above. Even if you’re well on your way, you may discover something helpful.

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5 Writing Rules and When to Break them

There are an untold number of ‘rules’ that writers are told they must follow. No exceptions. Let’s look at the most common, and see if they may sometimes be broken. While pretty much any rule may be ignored at times, don’t forget that most of these rules exist for a reason.

Grammar and Spelling are non-negotiable

Listen, no one is more of a pedant than I am. Yes, I make mistakes in my writing, but I always try to correct them. Nothing irritates me more than seeing the word ‘literally’ being misused, or people saying, ‘drug’ when they mean dragged. Few pedants would deny that you should never use one-word sentences.

But.

There are times when writing more casually is preferable. I’ve recently been reading a series of books about a detective, a former policeman. He’s your average Joe type of character, and he is the primary narrator. Yet, despite being Mr Average in so many ways, his grammar is impeccable. I love good grammar, I do, but seeing Mr Average using words like ‘whom’ jars. It feels wrong because nothing about him suggests a reader or a grammar-fiend. Did I say fiend? I meant friend. Ahem.

Your word choices, grammar, and so forth should match the character. Read Dickens. You can always tell which character is talking in his novels by the way they express themselves.

I recently watched a video about the screenplay of 12 Angry Men. How 12 Angry Men Breaks Screenwriting Rules by Script Sleuth. This is an outstanding play / film, and if you haven’t seen it, I strongly encourage you to do so. Anyway, in the video, Script Sleuth points out that you can identify every character by his speech. It’s true, too. The differences aren’t huge, but the are pronounced enough that you can identify who is saying what, just by their speech. Take a bow, Reginald Rose, screenwriter.

Write every day

It’s a lovely ideal, and it’s one I try to follow, but here’s the thing, everybody has to take a day off sometimes. Kids get sick, you get sick, the kitchen floods, the in-laws show up unannounced, you have a huge project at work and have to put in 12-16 hour days until it’s done. Don’t beat yourself up. Take a day or two off. Just don’t make a habit of it. Try to get back in the flow as soon as you can.

Also, if you’re feeling burned out, it’s okay to take a short break. Nothing too excessive. A few days, a week at most, but you must be disciplined enough to get back to work as soon as you’re able. No excuses.

Write what you know

This one nearly crippled me when I was starting out. I knew very little, and I knew that I knew very little. What should I do? It took a lot of time, but eventually I realised that what this rule really means is write what you have thoroughly researched. Write what you feel in your heart to be true. After all, it’s not like Ray Bradbury had really been to Mars when he wrote his Martian Chronicles. Of course, if you do want to write science fiction, you have to know something about any scientific aspects of your story.

These days, thanks to the internet, there is little that cannot be researched from the comfort of your own chair. I don’t say researched well or accurately, but I’ll get to that. You can find experts online. Thanks to Google Maps, you can walk down streets in foreign countries. The web will enable you to read up on countless topics. But…

You can’t assume that everything you read is true. Wikipedia in particular is seriously flawed. You also can’t walk down the streets of, for instance, Victorian London. The city as it is today is vastly different from how it was in the 1800s. No matter how carefully you read about your chosen topic, nothing can match personal experience. Yes, you can virtually walk through Dublin’s Temple Bar, for instance, but you cannot access streets that are closed to traffic. You cannot hear the conversations of people passing by, or smell the alcohol or food wafting from pubs and restaurants.

What you can do, though, is talk to people who have been to or, better, live in the place where you want to set your story. No, it’s still not as good as actually being there, but it’s the next best thing, provided your source has a keep power of observation.

Where possible, though, you are better off basing your story on the things you do know. Your home town. Your family or neighbours. Then you can add the things you get from others Just double-check everything.

Avoid clichés like the plague

The problem with clichés is that they creep up on you. Your brain is on the alert for things like, “wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole”, or “sixes and sevens,” but it lets more modern phrases sneak by. The cutting edge. Pushing the envelope. It’s all as hackneyed as the inevitable French loaf in a shopping basket being carried by the heroine in a TV show.

That being said, a character with no original thoughts and no imagination is exactly the sort to live on a diet of clichés. Just try to make the use of them interesting. Maybe he muddles them and says things like, “A watched pot is worth two in the hand, I always say.”

I once had a boss who, whenever we reported a problem to her, would say, “I hear you.” The joke around the office was she always said this with her fingers in her ears.

A judicious use of clichés can infuse some humour into your writing, as long as you use it knowingly and deliberately. It’s when those silly sayings creep in unnoticed that you need to be careful. Fortunately, that’s one of the reasons rewrites were invented, to catch things like that.

Get feedback

There are few things more valuable to the writer than good feedback. On the other hand, bad feedback can destroy your confidence and motivation. Therefore, take care before you ask anyone to read your work.

Don’t get feedback for anything but your best work. If you let someone (other than your mother) read a first draft, you will almost certainly regret it. I did it once. I was so excited about the emerging story, I couldn’t wait to share it. However, the reaction was… well, I won’t call it savage, but I’m still bleeding. Serves me right.

By the same token, if you ask an adoring relative, or a paid critic for feedback, don’t be shocked when they offer little but adoring praise. Perhaps they’re right, but don’t expect a professional editor to be equally enchanted, unless you’re very, very talented. Or lucky.

If these musings are helpful, please let me know. Should I look at some more ‘rules’ and weigh in on their usefulness?

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A Day in the Life of a Writer

09:00-ish Get up, wash, dress, have breakfast, and make sure the cat has enough food and water. Then read and reply to emails. Cat jumps onto my lap making me splash tea on myself and the laptop. Swear. Mop up the mess. Change my tee-shirt. Make more tea. Put cat in the other room.

10:00 Reply to emails and review my to-do list for today. Check my notes and read what I wrote yesterday. Several minutes of heavy sighing ensues, accompanied by much under-breath grumbling, and hurling several crumpled up pages into the waste-paper bin. Cat scratching on the door. Let back in.

10:30 Suddenly feel I was too hasty, and salvage the crumbled pages, smooth them out as much as possible, and reread. More deep sighs.

10:45 Several minutes of pondering how to proceed, supplemented by making another cup of inspiration, AKA tea. Open up the document of my work in progress. Cat asleep on the sofa.

10:50 Stare at the screen and continue trying to figure out what I should do next.

10:55 Still staring.

11:00 Staring… but with tea.

11:05 Have a glimmer of an idea and start to write.

11:06 Cat wants into the living room and I, the obedient servant, obey.

11:35 Neighbour stops by to ask if she can borrow some sugar. Muttering under my breath, I give her a cupful. She peers over my shoulder, into my study. “You’re not busy then?” she says. “I’m working,” I reply in tones that would sink the Titanic. She takes the hint.

11:45 Sit back at the desk and try to remember where I was. Check emails again, just till I get the flow back. Any. Minute. Now.

12:00 Realise the tea is cold and make another cup.

12:05 Start writing again.

13:00 Still writing! Cat is entertaining himself.

14:30 Hit wordcount goal, but it’s going well, so keep writing. Yay! I am Invincible! Cat indifferent.

16:00 Hit the wall. Stop. Realise the tea is cold, again. Print out today’s pages. Feel hungry. Make a sandwich. Play with the cat.

16:30 Lunch is over. I put on a load of laundry and go for a walk. Belatedly remember that I forgot to toss in my tea-stained tee-shirt. Console myself with chocolate.

17:15 Home. Put laundry into drier. Make notes for tomorrow. Make tea.

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